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Re: mysterious island 1973 mini series

From: <Rfbagby~at~aol.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:09:59 -0400
To: jvf~at~gilead.org.il (Jules Verne Forum)

In a message dated 7/21/2005 8:59:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Brian Taves <btav~at~loc.gov> writes:
>Has anyone discovered the reasons for the wide discrepancies in versions
>of the 1973 miniseries and feature?  It seems to go well beyond the scope
>of what might happen with a coproduction.
REPLY: While I don't know the Why of this, Brian, I know that one fan's website on this title began with the assumption all versions were national editions of a Master Copy, but on beginning to total up those "wide discrepencies" ultimately concluded there is no more a "true" 1973 MYSTERIOUS ISLAND than, say, an authoritative SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON text.

This adaption (in at least the copy I've got) has some interesting parallelisms to the 1951 serial (coincedental, surely!), notably Nemo explaining his presence as due once more to Radioactive Minerals in the island used as fuel for the NAUTILUS. It is also among the few adaptions to have Nemo wear a turban (as will the coming Patrick Stewart take). Even more curiously, it has some elements of CARPATHIAN CHATEAU, a borrowing acknowledged when the castaways finally meet Nemo and find him watching "home movies" -- he explains he bought this technology from an "inventor named Orfanik"!
While I concur this is not one of the great adaptions, I think one of the reasons MYSTERIOUS is one of Verne's most filmed titles (if, ahem, not necessarily plots) is precisely its ability to absorb contemporary concerns and iconography -- from the 1929's mulling over the Russian Revolution (and the introduction of sound!) to the 1951 serial which is when Nemo went nuclear (and yes, fights space aliens!) to the "Harryhausen" version (which fits into the 60's Giant Monster cycle as much as its Verne boom). In short, each version is to studied as much as a mirror of its era as an adaption of Verne.
Ross
Received on Fri 22 Jul 2005 - 15:10:15 IDT

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